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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Luna Has Left The Building

Huckleberries hears that Superintendent Tom Luna was late for that Friends of Idaho (but not of Common Core) meeting in the Coeur d'Alene Library community room, scheduled to start at 10:30. An eyewitness reports: " As he entered, Ray Writz, possible candidate for City Council announced, 'Hey, Tom!  You're late and you're pushing something we don't want.'"

  • 12:03 p.m. Superintendent Luna leaves anti-Common Core meeting for GOP women's luncheon.
  • 11:56 a.m. Provided on a slide: An example of a current 4th grade math standard question: 5/8 + 1/8 = ? A. 6/16; B. 6/8; C. 7/8 or D. 4/8? Compare to the new core standard 4th grade math question implemented this fall: Five friends ordered 3 large sandwiches. James ate 3/4 of a sandwich. Katya ate 1/4 of a sandwich. Ramon ate 3/4 of a sandwich. Sienna ate 2/4 of a sandwich. How much sandwich is left for Oscar? Man in audience was frustrated. Asked, "I don't know how to answer this.  How am I supposed to help my child with homework?"
  • 11:37 a.m. Asked of Luna, "Why are we teaching for college and not real life?"
  • 11:16 a.m. Luna encourages us to look at the standards posted on the state's education department's data.  He says to look at the individual standards.  In the two years the standards have been posted, not one person has reached out to state a specific criticism with a particular standard.
  • 11:07 a.m. Several outbursts have occurred.  Sometimes not full sentences, just things like, "Bill Gates!"  Or "State Sovereignty!" One man has interrupted Tom Luna to explain "Bill Gates' footprints is all over this." Crowd has now been asked to hold questions until Luna has finished his presentation.


D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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